The Rangers' Recovery
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Death affects us all in different ways. The Rangers have to learn to move past what almost happened.
1. Watching The Game

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made._

_Author's Note: This is not where the Megaforce series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:_

_**No To Date Nights - The Party Night - Project Partners - Megaforce: Lives Behind The Masks - **__**Prom Night**__ - __**A Trip To Remember - First Meetings - Something She Loves – Protective Morans – Samurai In Harwood County – Rainy Days – Luck Had Nothing To Do With It – Ranger Support – Parents and Children – Hero Without The Spandex – Emma's Night – Emma's Mother – Bait And Switch – After Death – A Stormy Day – A Date For Tensou – A Mother's Advice – Mending Fences – Executioner Named Revenge –Those Three Words – On The Fourth Day – Babysitting – Tiger- A Fresh Start – On the Mountains – Looking Ahead**_

It felt good to be back on the soccer field. With only a few games left in the season, Jake was glad he was able to play. He was still a little beat up from his visit to the future, but he could play through the bruising. It wasn't like he hadn't done so before. While soccer was supposed to be a non-contact sport, a little pushing and shoving was allowed, not to mention the misdirected kicks to the legs when fighting over the ball.

"Holling," he heard his Coach call and turned to the sidelines. The game hadn't started yet. He and the team were just practicing together before the game to get warmed up and figure out some strategies. It was good to know the field they were going to play on. He hurried over to meet up with his coach.

Coach McKnight was one of the best in the business. He had a passion for soccer that was unmatched, and before he started coaching full time he had played soccer professionally. His teams were always well known and his players had the best chance of moving along in their athletic careers. Moreover, he taught his players excellent values that could be used off the field, such as teamwork, respect, and commitment. These were skills Jake were sure he had learned from his time as a Ranger.

Coach McKnight, to Jake's surprised, was a former red Ranger. He had led the team of Dino Thunder Rangers in Reefside mostly during the 2003-2004 school year, where they had fought again Mesogog's team of mutated dinosaur like monsters and protected the world from returning back to the prehistoric era. Jake felt lucky his former coach knew the struggles of balancing school work with Ranger duties and soccer, which meant he usually had a free pass when he had to skip out on training or even games to save the world. However, it wasn't something they talked about often, just when Coach McKnight seemed to sense that there was something occupying Jake's thoughts.

"Where's Gia?" he asked Jake and the black Ranger signaled for them to start walking around the field. Coach McKnight followed him.

"The latest attack almost got her killed," he said. "She's in the hospital recovering."

"Is it bad?"

"Not as bad as we thought it was," Jake let out a relieved sigh. "It's still pretty bad, though."

"She's missing the quarter finals," Coach nodded his head. "It's got to be pretty bad. I guess this game we're playing without a good luck charm."

"I feel pretty lucky," Jake shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry, Coach, it's not going to bother me. I want to win this game. Gotta bring her back some good news, right?"

Coach McKnight smiled and nodded his head. He gave Jake a little pat on the shoulder before sending him back off to the field. He felt bad for Jake, and for the Megaforce team. It seemed over the years, the monsters were getting stronger. Conner remembered having some scares during his time as a Ranger. He and his teammates had been knocked around pretty badly, and he remembered making a few trips to the doctor and a couple of visits to the emergency room, but it seemed Gia was staying there for a while. That had never happened to him or his teammates.

He pulled out his cell phone, "Yo, Ethan, you busy right now? I've got a little job for you to do down at the hospital."

-Megaforce-

Gia opened her eyes suddenly and felt she had to catch her breath. She hated this about sleeping. She hated how the nightmares forced her to relieve her painful past. She hated how she could never leave anything behind.

She didn't know the details of her _death_, as the others called it, but she had heard about what had happened, and it seemed her subconscious remembered it very clearly. In her nightmare, she had been trapped in a room on fire, unable to move, with a monster standing over her. He was laughing maniacally as she burned and refused to listen to her screams for help. Now that she was awake, she figured the monster was Vrak, and the fire had something to do with the burn on her back, but it still wasn't something she wanted to see again, even in a dream. It all felt very real.

"Nightmare?" Emma was still beside her on the chair. She hadn't left the room. While her mother and Mrs. Goodall were coming and going, depending on the time of day, Emma couldn't be moved. Gia hadn't quite been asleep when she heard her best friend yelling at a nurse who politely asked her to leave and give Gia some time to rest up.

"Yeah," she nodded her head. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Gia figured it was just the nurse and the doctor. It was about time they check the burn on her back and change the bandage, but instead saw a man walking in. He looked a lot like Noah in his blue polo, glasses, and a laptop bag hanging off his shoulder. Surely, he wasn't a doctor or a nurse, but he did look very familiar.

"Who are you?" Emma asked. The man turned to the girls and smiled. He pointed to Gia.

"Gia Moran, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Ethan James. I'm a friend of Conner's. Well, you know him better as Coach McKnight."

"Why are you here?"

"Your friend Jake has a soccer game, right?" Ethan walked up to the TV and started to work on it, much like Noah did when Mrs. Moran asked him to come by and figure out why the TV kept changing channels without anyone asking it to.

"Yeah. I wished him good luck. Stupid doctors won't let me go…"

"You don't have to," in a flash, the TV was showing an image of the soccer field. Gia recognized Jake's team's jerseys and game Ethan a very curious, but very thankful look.

"How did you do that?"

"Modern technology," Ethan smirked. "I've got cameras set up around the field so you can watch the game. It's feeding the video to my laptop, and I'm feeding it to the TV. Now you don't have to miss a second."

"The game's started," Emma pointed out. Ethan looked to the screen and then scratched his head.

"Oops. I guess I was lost for a little longer than I thought. I'll just text Conner and see what the score is. You two can watch the game."

Gia nodded and her eyes were focused on the screen as Jake took the ball from one of his opponents and dribbled with it up the field. Emma, meanwhile, got up from her seat and joined Ethan by his laptop.

"What exactly is going on?" she asked. Ethan finished typing up his message and then looked at her with a shrug.

"Letting your friend watch the game. You know, it's the quarter finals. It's a pretty important game… I've been told."

"So you program the TV to watch the game?"

Ethan nodded his head, "It was Conner's idea. Apparently Gia's a good luck charm for the team. Conner likes having her around, the guys seem to always be asking after her if she doesn't show up, and I think you and I both know Jake loves it when she can watch him play."

"YES!" Gia suddenly cried from the bed. "Go Jake!"

"Score's now 1-0 for Harwood," Ethan smirked. "Look, I'm just here to help. You can borrow my laptop until the end of the game. Just don't touch anything on it. Or the laptop itself."

"Alright," Emma said as Ethan walked for the door, "Um… thank you."

"Anything for fellow Rangers," Ethan said before he left. Emma's jaw dropped for a moment until she recognized him. She had been to Dr. Oliver's home, and in his basement he had something of a command center for her and her teammates. They hadn't needed to use it yet, but they had gotten some information from it regarding the Dino Thunder Rangers. Jake's coach, Conner McKnight, had been the red Ranger. Dr. Oliver had been black, as well as many other colours before that, Kira Ford had been the yellow Ranger, and now she remembered Ethan, the blue.

"HEY! Are you blind, ref? Thank you!" Gia called out and Emma snapped out of her thoughts and turned around to see Gia enjoying the game. She smiled as she walked back over to the chair and had a seat.

"How's it going?"

"Fine. Jake's got a goal already, so we're off to a good start," Gia smiled. "Now it's a free kick because some idiot thought he could get away with tackling Jake."

"What's a free kick?" Emma asked. She had watched some of Jake's games, and knew the basic rules of soccer, but not enough to follow a game flawlessly. Gia had picked up on a lot of the language since she started going to the games with Jake, and naturally, picked up on it easily.

"It's to restart the game after a foul," Gia said. "It's awarded to the opposing team from the player who committed the foul. In this case, it's Jake's chance to kick the ball without someone going after him."

"So, it's literally a free kick?" Emma asked. "Now I feel kind of stupid."

"Don't ask about direct or indirect, then," Gia smirked. "I felt like a real idiot then."

Emma chuckled and nodded her head before turning to the TV to watch the rest of the game.


	2. Hospital Celeberation

Jake could feel the sweat gliding down his entire body as the game came to an end. It had been another win, pushing Jake and his team into the semi-finals, but it had been a close game. Jake's team had only won by a single point.

"You were great, Holling," the team captain said and gave him a tap on the back as they all walked back to the bench to get some water and rehydrate. Jake smiled and nodded his head in response but when he looked out to the stands to see all the people cheering for him and his teammates, he knew there was an important face missing from the crowd.

He also noticed there were cameras around the field. During the game, his mind tuned out anything that wasn't related to soccer. His only focus was getting the ball in the opponent's net, or taking the ball from them before they could get it in his. He hadn't noticed the cameras all around the field. He walked up to his coach and pointed to them curiously.

"I didn't think this was televised."

"It's not," Coach McKnight shook his head. "I had my buddy Ethan set them up."

"Why?"

"So Gia could watch the game," Coach McKnight smiled as he tossed Jake his towel. "I think we won because she was watching."

"You… she… how?" Jake asked.

"Ethan set the cameras up with his laptop and… I don't know," Coach McKnight gave Jake a frown and shook his head. "I'm not the smart one, here. All I know is Gia's been able to watch the game from the TV at the hospital. I'll bet she's been cheering you on."

"I should probably go see her," Jake smiled and was just about to run off the field when his coach grabbed him by the jersey and pulled him back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. She'll appreciate your enthusiasm, I'm sure, but the smell? Go shower, Holling. Hasn't she been through enough?"

"Oh, right," Jake nodded his head. He picked up his soccer bag and found his father waiting by the car in the parking lot. He would go home, take a quick shower so he didn't stink up the hospital, and then visit Gia to see what she thought of his game. He loved it when she came with him to his matches, and loved even more when she showed an interest in his favourite sport. There was nothing he loved more than soccer except maybe Gia. To be able to play soccer with his girlfriend cheering him on was the definition of happiness.

He told his father all about the game. Mr. Holling had to work on most days Jake had his games, so it was unfortunate he had to miss them. He showed his support to his son by attending the games whenever he could and offering to help Jake practice some new skills or just play for fun in the backyard. Mr. Holling had been the one to introduce Jake to soccer when Jake had only been four years old, and they had spent many days at the park playing and practicing together.

When Jake got home, he raced upstairs and into the shower, naked before he even got to the bathroom. His father went to the kitchen to prepare something for Jake to eat on his way to the hospital. After a long game, Jake was always starving, and Mr. Holling refused to let his son go without food.

Jake was showered in record time and took the sandwich his father had made for him as he made his way out of the house. He didn't live too far away from the hospital, so he could walk there on his own, without taking the bus.

When he reached the hospital doors he had to stop for a minute. Hospitals were still scary for him. He didn't like being near one, never mind inside. The only reason he was brave enough to get this close was because he knew Gia was inside. He knew she was probably waiting to see him. Not wanting to let her down, he took in a deep breath and marched right in. He knew the way to her room by heart, and made it there without having to stop and breathe again. He knocked on the door before walking into her room.

"Guess who won!" he said with a smile, and while he knew she already knew the results of the game, he didn't know a better way of announcing the victory. He saw her face light up when she knew it was him and walked right over to the bed for a hug.

"You were amazing!" she pulled him in for a kiss. Jake took a seat beside her on the bed, while Emma, who was still in the room keeping a close eye on Gia, decided to give the two of them some space.

"How much did you see?" Jake asked her. "I didn't even notice someone putting the cameras up."

"You did seem very focused," Gia nodded her head. "All but the first five minutes. I saw your impressive goal, too."

"Impressive?"

"You got around the defenders and the goalie by yourself," Gia smirked. She leaned into Jake's arms and rested her head on his chest. "That's pretty impressive. So where does that leave you now? Semi-finals?"

"If we win that, we play in the finals for first," Jake nodded his head. "If we lose, it's a game for third. We're almost guaranteed to come out with a trophy. It would be pretty sick if my first year on Conner McKnight's team we get first place."

"You'll have brought them there, too," Gia pointed out but Jake shook his head.

"It's a team effort."

"You're being modest."

"I couldn't do it without the team."

"You've the MVP. You're the youngest player in the league, Coach McKnight's newest recruit, and the leading goal scorer. Your team also hasn't lost a game with you on the field. If that doesn't make you the star player, I don't know what does."

Gia wrapped her arms around Jake and snuggled in a bit closer to him, "But the modesty thing is kind of cute."

Jake blushed as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "The semi-finals aren't for a few days. Think you'll be out of here in time to come watch in person?"

"I want to be," Gia nodded, "We'll see what the doctors say. Apparently, my burn is pretty bad."

"Well, what about the finals?" Jake asked. "At this point, I'm guaranteed two more games. Will you at least be able to make it to the finals?"

"No doctor's going to stop me," Gia nodded again and looked up at Jake with a smirk, "I'll have Emma help me sneak out."

She rested her head back on his chest and closed her eyes. Her painkillers were kicking in again and making her tired. She had already used up most of her energy staying up to watch Jake's game and then waiting for him to stop by afterwards. Jake wrapped his arms around her warmly, careful not to touch her back too much, and laid with her on the bed, just watching as she fell asleep. Moments later, Emma came back in.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I stayed away as long as I could."

"No problem," Jake shook his head. He had seen what Gia's death had done to Emma. He couldn't imagine how he would feel if something like that had happened to Noah. Just the thought of his best friend, the one person he could trust with everything and anything he wanted to say or felt, getting hurt or dying made him want to throw up. He was grateful Emma had given him a couple of minutes alone with Gia.

"She was pretty pumped during the game," Emma smiled. "I've never seen her so excited. Well, not in a long time, at least."

"She's getting better, you mean?"

"With your help," Emma nodded. She took a seat in her chair and then let out a sigh. Jake looked over to her.

"What? Alright, don't tell me you want to come up here and cuddle too. You're in the room, isn't that enough?"

"I'm just thinking."

"Of?"

"You and Gia together… it's making me think of…"

"Jordan?" Jake asked. "Has he stopped by?"

"He's texted. Asking to hang out. I haven't answered him. He doesn't know."

"He… doesn't?"

"He turned you into Vrak," Emma said. "He knew Vrak would torture you, but he still…" Emma looked down at her hands and shrugged her shoulders. "Gia's dead because of him."

Jake bit his lip, "I never put those pieces together. Vrak just kind of showed up as we were about to leave… it didn't really occur to me he had been tipped off."

"Jordan tipped him off. He told us. I know… I know Jordan now isn't the same Jordan as the Jordan… then, but it's still the future. He's got it inside of him to…"

"It worked out, though, right?"

"Yeah, but… Jake, what if it didn't? What if Gia never found her way home? Jordan had to know the risk was too high, but he took it anyway. We almost lost her, we almost lost you and Troy. All for what? A couple of bags getting home for a freaking time machine?"

"The time machine was pretty important," Jake shrugged. "But I guess without any Rangers to ride in it…"

"Jordan put you all in danger. He put my best friend in danger. It's not the same Jordan but it's… you never know, right? What if Vrak forces him to do it again?"

"Jordan's not a Ranger. He should do anything to keep himself alive. We can handle Vrak."

"Yeah, but look at what he did to her," Emma pointed to Gia. "Think of how lucky we are she's still here. Don't you remember how it tore you up when you thought she was dead?"

"Yeah…"

"Jordan was in with Vrak. He worked for him for four years. He couldn't have found a way to keep Vrak distracted while you guys came home? He couldn't have fought to protect you? His goal was getting us home, right? What did it matter what he did?"

"You're saying he should have sacrificed himself for us?"

"If we made it home, he'd still be alive!" Emma cried and then lowered her voice when Gia stirred. She shook her head. "He'd be alive if we were successful. If we weren't, I know I'd rather be dead. If Gia died, it doesn't matter if it's the future or the present, she's gone. We couldn't get her back. Not without fucking up time. It was stupid of him, Jake, and I don't know if I want to be with someone who has it in him to hurt my best friend like that."

Jake sighed and looked down at Gia. He had no idea what he would do if he found out she was responsible for hurting Noah. He knew she had been accused of it once, and he had stood by Noah. He shook his head. It was no contest. Anyone cruel enough to pick on, hurt, or even kill Noah wasn't right for him.

"You'll do what you have to, I guess," he couldn't tell Emma what to do. This was her decision. He was just thankful he wasn't caught with that choice. His best friend was safe, and the woman he loved was in his arms. Life couldn't get sweeter.

Emma pulled her legs up on the chair and hugged her knees to her chest, "I don't know, Jake."


	3. What Families Do

While the others spent most of their days in and out of the hospital, Troy was in the woods training. It wasn't that he didn't care for Gia, or want to see her get well. She was one of his best friends. He wanted nothing but the best for her and his other teammates. He knew she was getting the care and attention she needed to make a full recovery and felt his time was better spent bettering himself.

He had a lot of perks as leader. Many of his dreams showed him that the red Ranger got most of the cool weapons and power ups. The team had to follows his orders, even when he wasn't sure of them himself. The spotlight was on him. Everyone loved him. Of all the Ranger toys, red sold the best. He was the most popular, the most loved, and the most looked up to Ranger.

But everything came at a cost. As leader, he needed to make the right call at the right time. It wasn't enough that he believed in himself. He needed to be right about it or someone could get hurt. It was his eyes that were responsible to look out for civilians or beloved pets. He had to mind the damage he and the Rangers were causing to the city as they battled – and in a Megazord, it was hard to keep damage as minimal as possible. It was his responsibility to assign the right roles to the right teammates. It was also in his hands they put their lives. They trusted him to lead them to victory and keep them safe on the way.

Troy remembered the light. He remembered the fire. He remembered how one shot from Vrak's blaster has consumed Gia, and for a while, it was believed that he had killed her. The guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders even after Gia's miraculous return. To think that one of his teammates had been on the brink of death was to admit failure.

Troy had failed.

It was one kind of guilt when Mr. Moran had died. Troy felt the pain, the grief, and the heartache from that to this day, but Mr. Moran had been at the wrong time and place when it happened, and he hadn't been entrusted to Troy to protect. Not directly, at least. Mr. Moran was responsible for his own life, and when he learned that through his daughter, he was connected to the Rangers, it was up to him to do what he needed to stay safe. It was up to him to take the precautions necessary to survive and not be fooled by the enemy. Troy counted Mr. Moran's death as a painful loss, but the fault wasn't entirely his.

Anyone could say what they wanted about Gia. Vrak, of course, was the finger that pulled the trigger that released the shot that almost killed Gia, but when it came to who was responsible, Troy felt there was no one to blame but himself. Everyone had a different story. Emma felt she was to blame. Jake was kicking himself for what happened. Troy heard Noah mutter a couple of times when they had met up at Ernie's afterwards that things could have been different if he had gone to help Emma, Jordan, and Mrs. Goodall instead of working on the time machine.

But no matter what they said, they weren't to blame. At the end of the day, Troy had been the one who made the call that got Gia killed. He should have known better. He should have been stronger. He never should have asked her to come with him and Jake to Vrak's palace to get the pieces Noah needed. He knew the dangers. He knew that if they were caught, Gia would either refuse surrender even if it cost her her life, or she would be too panicked, to overcome with pain from her past to be able to fight back. Vrak had hurt her. Vrak knew how to hurt her.

He should have been smarter. He should have been stronger. The hit should have been his. It should have been his life that had been in jeopardy. It should have been him the others were forced to leave behind. It should have been him they abandoned in the future.

"Hey."

He heard a voice and turned around, somewhat surprised to see Jordan walking around the woods alone. He stopped training to take a sip of his water and nodded at his friend.

"Hey."

Jordan had a look around and then sighed, "I thought you'd all be out here. Have you seen Emma?"

"No," Troy shook his head. "Have you called her?"

"Called, messaged… she's not picking up."

"She's at the hospital," Troy said and then he saw the look on Jordan's face so he quickly explained. "We had a little encounter with Vrak a few days ago. It only lasted minutes in this time, but it was pretty bad."

"Is she okay?"

"It's Gia we're worried about."

"Gia?"

"Vrak killed her. At least, that's what we thought," Troy looked down at his water bottle and sighed. "I let them down."

"Wait, Vrak killed Gia? And I'm only hearing about this now?" Jordan's eyes nearly popped out of his head. His jaw hit the ground. "Oh man… no wonder Emma's not answering me! The hospital?"

"Yeah, but Jordan…"

"Dude, I've got to go," Jordan shook his head and darted off back to the city. "Sorry, Troy, another time."

Troy sighed as he watched him go. He'd do the same if he were Jordan. It was no secret how close Emma and Gia were. If something happened to one, the other was always deeply affected. Being the good boyfriend that he was, Jordan obviously wanted to be by Emma's side to help her.

But that left Troy alone in the forest again with no one to talk to. He set his water bottle down and was about to get back to his training when he saw a shadow walking out from the trees. He was ready to attack but saw he didn't need to when Rebecca stepped into the light. His heart skipped a beat, worried she had heard something she wasn't supposed to.

"Gia's dead?" she asked. Troy shook his head.

"There was an accident. It wasn't as bad as we thought. The doctors were able to save her just in time."

"Whose Vrak, then?"

"The… uh… owner... of the car."

"She was hit by a car?" Rebecca frowned. "You told Jordan it was an attack."

"What are you doing out here, Rebecca?" Troy asked her as he tried to change the subject before Rebecca started asking too many questions. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Your parents took the baby out for dinner. Well, they went out, and they took her with them. She's not eating yet. I got bored at home. You said you would be in the woods so…"

"You came all the way out here alone?"

"I followed the trail," Rebecca shrugged. "But that's off topic. Gia's in the hospital? Or is she dead?"

"Rebecca…"

"What? I care about your friends. Gia was the one who helped me out anyways. What really happened, Troy? Is she okay?"

Rebecca walked in closer to her brother and saw the scars that were on his face, still healing from when he had come home with them. She had never really gotten a straight answer from him about where they had come from. He had been dodgy with his answers to her until she was satisfied with half the truth. She had noticed a lot about her brother since moving in with him. He would come home late some nights without a real explanation. He would leave in the early hours of the morning. He had bruises and cuts that he said happened while training, but they were too suspicious looking to be accidents. She had kept secrets before too. A secret from her father about her life and the things she was doing that she didn't want him to know about. All those secrets, all the lies led her to nothing but trouble. She didn't want that for her brother, for the brother who took her in even though he didn't know her. The brother who helped her out, though she was the reason his father had abandoned him. She didn't want to see her brother get hurt, or hurting, because of a heavy secret he had to carry. Her life was different now thanks to him. Her life was better. Now, if she could, she wanted to help him.

But Troy shook his head and came up with another lie. Well, a half-lie. He was telling the truth, but he was keeping details from her. Rebecca could tell by the look in his eyes, by the way he held himself. He was hiding something.

"We can talk about anything, you know," she told him.

"Don't worry about it, Rebecca."

"You're lying. I know it, and you know it. You're hiding something and it's hurting you. I want to help, Troy. We're family. Isn't that what family does?"

"Don't worry about it, Rebecca…"

"No!" Rebecca stomped her foot. "You were going to talk to Jordan about something when he ran off. Why would you talk to him and not me? Gia's hurt, right? She's in the hospital? That's got you upset. Why can't you tell me about it?"

"Rebecca…"

"I just want to help."

"I don't need your help," Troy pushed her away and grabbed his bag. "I'm heading home. Don't follow me."

"I live there too, you know," Rebecca went after her brother, staying only steps behind him. He tried to speed up the pace, but she could keep up. She grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. "Troy, I'm not going to judge you. Why would I dare judge you after everything you've done for me? Did you hurt Gia? Is this Vrak guy just covering for you?"

Troy didn't answer and looked away. Rebecca knew she was on to something. She looked up at her brother, "What happened? Did you mean it? Was it just an accident? She'll forgive you if you explain…"

"She trusted me with something and I let her down," Troy said. "I asked her to do something for me… with me… and she ended getting hurt, almost killed because of it."

"What did you ask her to do?"

"That's not important. She trusted me. They all trusted me, and I let them down."

"Why do they all trust you so much?" Rebecca asked. "Not that they shouldn't. From what I've seen, you're a dependable guy, it's just… obviously this is a lot of pressure on you. Is it fair?"

"Some things have come up. It all just worked out that way. It's not anyone's fault. They aren't doing this on purpose."

"Was it a mistake? Hurting her?"

"I didn't mean for it to happen. I picked her to help because I thought she was the best to help me. I didn't think about what could go wrong. How it could affect her. I didn't… I mean, I wasn't the one who hurt her, but I let her down."

"Have you talked to her?" Rebecca asked. She looked up at her brother with a shrug. "You know, Troy, you're a pretty nice guy, but you don't always talk much. It's hard to know what's going on in that head of yours. I'll bet, a lot of your problems aren't as bad as they seem."

"Becca…"

"Seriously. Things seem pretty scary when you face them alone. When you share them with someone, you'll notice it's never as bad as it initially seemed. Being pregnant and having a baby was really scary until I met you and your family. You all helped me through that. You were there for me the whole time. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. So, if she's still talking to you, sit down with her. Talk to her about this. Maybe she doesn't blame you."

"That'll help."

"If the roles were reversed, what would you tell me to do?"

Troy nodded and kissed his sister's forehead, "I'm proud of you, Rebecca. How far you've come and how far you're willing to go. You're a good sister."

"Aw, thanks," Rebecca blushed and smiled. "You know, since that ape beat you up, you've been really sweet. Not that I advocate violence, but if this happens every time the shit gets beat out of you… I wouldn't mind a few flying fists every once in a while."

"Go home," Troy chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Order whatever you want for dinner. I'll be there shortly."

"Talk to Gia about everything. That's the only way you're going to feel better!"

"Promise," Troy called after her as she started down the trail for home.


	4. An Almost Loss

When Jordan got to the hospital he wasn't sure who to ask for at the reception desk. He was worried for Emma, but it had been Gia who he had been told had been admitted. He tried asking for the latter and got an answer he wasn't quite happy with. The receptionist refused to give him the name of her room. His name wasn't approved.

"She's my girlfriend's best friend. My girlfriend's probably in there right now."

"I'm sorry. We respect patient privacy, and unless you can prove you are family or you're on the list I can't give you any information."

"Please," Jordan begged. "I know Gia…"

"He's the guy," a nurse said to the receptionist. Jordan frowned but he let them talk.

"The guy?" the receptionist turned around and asked. "What guy?"

"Gia Moran is the patient who was found by a strange man on the side of the road. He brought her in. Just in time too, or she wouldn't have made it," the nurse looked up at Jordan, "You look a little different, but I recognize that face. You know, her mother's got a lot to thank you for."

The nurse pointed to the list, "Mrs. Moran approved the man who saved her daughter. I'm positive it's him."

"Why didn't you just say that?" the receptionist asked and then nodded to the nurse, "Alright, go on up."

"Here, let me lead the way," the nurse said with a smile as she brought Jordan into the hospital. "We worked all night on her. The burns on her back were pretty severe, as well as the many other wounds on her body. Whoever attacked her really had no mercy. She never would have made it here if it weren't for you. She's only alive thanks to you. A few more minutes and she would have been dead."

"I'm glad I got her here in time, I guess," Jordan said, but he was left with a lot of questions. He and the nurse stepped out from the elevator that brought them up to Gia's floor and from there it was a short walk to her room. The nurse knocked a couple of times before she walked in. Jordan was right behind her. He noticed Gia was in bed, fast asleep in Jake's arms, and Emma was seated next to the bed.

"This is him," the nurse smiled as she pointed to Jordan. "You were asking about him the other day."

"Him?" Emma asked.

"The man who saved your friend. I was on duty when he brought her in. I don't forget faces very easily. I know he's the guy."

"Thank you, nurse," Emma whispered and the nurse nodded her head and walked out. Jake shifted out of bed, careful so as not to wake Gia and said he was hungry and had to get something to eat.

Emma turned away from Jordan to look at Gia. He could see she seemed angry with him. He walked over and stood at the foot of the bed. He looked down at Gia.

"How is she?"

"Up and down, depending on how much they drug her," Emma whispered. "She tries to act like she's fine, but her burn is giving her problem. She has a hard time moving around or sitting up. She doesn't even like how the gown touches her back. I'm worried about her leg because she keeps touching it. But you know Gia. She'll survive."

"Good," Jordan nodded and then turned to Emma, "I've been trying to reach you. You know, there aren't that many days of summer left before I have to go back home. I was hoping we could spend the rest of this time together."

"I'll be taking care of Gia."

"I can help you."

"She doesn't even like the male nurses or doctors helping her," Emma shook her head. "Sorry, Jordan, Gia comes first."

"You're being cold," Jordan frowned. "What did I do? Aside from apparently saving Gia."

"You didn't save her, you put her in harm's way," Emma turned and glared at Jordan. "You turned her in to Vrak."

"What?"

"Vrak sent us to the future. Gia, Jake, and Troy went to get some pieces for the time machine Noah was working on when you turned them in. Vrak tortured them, and when they were trying to escape, he killed her."

"I don't think you Rangers know what dead actually means," Jordan said. "Emma, she's right here. That machine says she's alive. And besides, I think I'd remembering betraying the Rangers."

"It's the future. You wouldn't remember it."

"So I'm in trouble for something I will do?" Jordan scratched his head. "Well, what about what the nurse said. She's positive I'm the one who brought Gia here."

"Did you?"

"Well… no, but the nurse wouldn't be saying that if I… Emma… look, I would never betray you or the other Rangers like that. I'd never let Gia get hurt like this. I want to be a cop, Emma…"

"Maybe you're a dirty cop."

"Emma, what's gotten into you?" Jordan asked as he moved in a little closer to her. "Look, seeing Gia now, I forgive you for not answering my messages…"

"Oh, thanks," Emma rolled her eyes. "You forgive me? Now I feel much better."

Suddenly there was a gasp. It was from Gia. Her eyes shot open and her face was covered in panic. Emma knew right away she had woken up from a nightmare. Jordan took a couple steps back, surprised by Gia's awakening.

"Nightmare," Emma said it more as a statement than a question. Gia nodded her head.

"The room with fire… the monster."

"Same old?"

"Different… different ending, though. There was someone else."

"Who?"

"I don't know," Gia shook her head and tried to push herself up, only to fall back and groan. "I didn't see anyone. Just a voice. It sounded familiar."

"Like this one?" Jordan asked. Gia turned to him, gave him a strange look and then nodded her head.

"Exactly… how did you do that?"

"I've been speaking since I was one," Jordan said. "You're doing it too."

He gave Gia a little smile before turning back to Emma, "Look, I don't know what happened in the future. Maybe I did turn her in, but I don't think that nurse is going crazy. She doesn't look like she's been here for more than twelve hours already. I'd never let anything happen to you or the Rangers. And if I did do something that got one of you into trouble, I'd fight like hell to make it right. I believe the nurse. I brought her here."

"And I believe what you told me. You turn her in to Vrak," Emma shook her head. She was about to tell him to leave when Gia touched her arm. She looked down at her friend and saw she was looking to Jordan.

"Someone saved me," she said. "It's all blurry, but I do remember someone taking care of me. And the voice in my dream being Jordan's can't just be a coincidence, right?"

"Emma, I'd never hurt her," Jordan pleaded with his girlfriend. She shook her head.

"You will. You did. You have it in you, Jordan. How can I know this'll never happen again? And if you're forcing me to choose, it's my best friend every time."

"I'm not… If you want someone to blame, blame Vrak," Jordan said. "Obviously he's the mastermind behind all of this. If I did turn her and the others in, it had to be something related to Vrak. I was pressured into it, or I had no choice, or it was the best thing to do at the time. I never wanted to see her get hurt! If anything happened to Gia, that would be tragic, but what would hurt me the most is what it would do to you, Emma! I love you. I'd never, ever do something this cruel."

Emma shook her head and Jordan could see tears falling from her eyes. He reached out to her, but she pushed him away.

"Leave me alone…"

"I'm not just trying to make myself look good," Jordan said. "Emma, I saved Gia. I know I did. I know because…" he took a deep breath and then took Emma's hands. He held them gently as he looked in her eyes, "I'd never ask you to choose between me or Gia. It's no contest. Nothing can come between you two, and nothing should. You're a pair, and anyone who wants to break that up is… despicable. If I had to, I'd sacrifice myself for her. I don't know what I did, or how I got her back home or here in time, but I know I did it. I did it, and I'd do it again. I wouldn't hurt her. I'd never take her away from you."

He wrapped his arms around Emma and pulled her in for a hug, "I love you. Taking care of you is all I ever want to do."

Emma sobbed into his chest, "I could have lost you both. I can't… I don't want to… if Gia died and you did nothing…"

Emma suddenly pulled away and slapped him in the chest, "How would I have forgiven you? How would I have been able to look you in the eye again? If Gia died, it wasn't just her I would lose."

"You're not second place, Jordan," Gia whispered. "No one can beat the best friend. But the boyfriend is playing in a different game. No one beats him either. No one, not even me, can top you in that contest."

Jordan smiled and then he kissed the top of Emma's head as he held her warmly, "I feel it, Emma. I did something to get Gia back here. I can't believe I'd turn her in and not do anything to make it right. We might never get an answer but… you just have to trust me. Please, Emma, I need you to trust me."

Emma wrapped her arms around Jordan and hugged him tight as she cried. Jordan took that as her trusting him and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"You're just scared," he told her as he rubbed her back. "You're going through a rough time and this is a lot to process, but we're still here for you, Emma. You're not alone."

She clung on to him a little tighter. Jordan picked her up and then sat on the bed with Gia, Emma in his lap. He continued to hold Emma with one arm, while the other helped Gia to sit up. Once she could, she wrapped her arms around Emma.

"You're not losing us, got that?" Gia whispered. Emma nodded her head as she clung on tight to her boyfriend and best friend.


	5. Troy's Apology

Troy held his head down as he stepped into the hospital. He was about to do something he wish he didn't have to do.

As leader, it was up to him to keep his teammates – his friends – safe from danger on the battlefield. Vrak kidnapping him, Jake, and Gia was already enough to bruise his ego. The torture they suffered still haunted him. Gia's death… Troy couldn't live with himself knowing he let that happen, knowing there was something he could have done to help her, to stop it, to prevent it.

He found her room and knocked gently on the door before walking in. He wasn't surprised to see Gia asleep in bed, she usually was when he came to visit, but he hadn't been expecting Jordan and Emma to be cuddling in bed with her. He cleared his throat, grabbing their attention. Jordan seemed the most surprised.

"We were just…"

"I don't want to know," Troy shook his head.

Jordan got off the bed and muttered something about getting a snack from the cafeteria. Emma slipped off the bed and took a seat in the chair. She looked to Troy.

"I wasn't feeling well. They were just trying to help."

"Are you feeling better?"

"Reassured," Emma nodded. "Gia's alive, and Jordan's a good guy. I'm really lucky."

"We're all pretty lucky," Troy said as he looked at Gia, "Things could have been a lot worse."

"You don't have to tell me," Emma muttered. Troy let out a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry."

She turned to him, "Huh?"

"I asked Gia to come with me to get the parts," Troy said. "If she hadn't of done that…"

"It's not your fault," Emma shook her head. "Troy, someone should have gone with you. It was smart to take three…"

"Maybe, but Gia as one of those three?" Troy shook his head. "I know her history with Vrak. I know she hates him. I know he likes to mess with her. I should have thought more about what would happen if we did get caught. I never should have asked her to come."

"It's not your fault, Troy. I never thought to blame you," Emma offered him a smile. "You made a call, they can't all be right."

"I'm the leader. Your safety is…"

"In your hands, yeah, but we've all got brains of our own. We knew the risks of you three going back to the palace. We knew that meant Vrak could capture you or worse. Gia still agreed to go. She could have said no."

"I take my job seriously, Emma. I don't want to see you getting hurt. Can I talk with her? Just for a few minutes?"

"I'll go see if Jordan wants to go out for lunch," Emma nodded her head. "Just promise me you won't leave her until I come back, or Vanessa stops by. She said she was dropping off some resumes and then would be over."

"She won't be alone," Troy nodded his head. He switched places with Emma, taking her seat by the bed while she got up and left.

Troy then heard an impressive sigh, "Wow, you got her to leave the building."

"Gia?" he saw she was awake in bed and was a little surprised. She looked like she had been fast asleep seconds before.

"Emma hasn't left this hospital since she found out I wasn't dead," Gia slowly started to sit up. Seeing she needed a bit of a hand, Troy quickly offered his help. He looked to her sadly as she rested her back against her pillows and hissed from the pain the pressure caused her back.

"About what happened…"

"It's not your fault," Gia shook her head. "Troy…"

"It should have been me."

"Trust me, you should be glad it's not you," Gia sighed. "Emma's worried enough as it is, and I don't want Jake to feel like he has to be here all the time, so you can't tell them how much this still fucking hurts."

"I shouldn't have asked you to come," Troy said. "I should have known that you would have been Vrak's first target if he caught us."

"You were right to ask me to come," Gia looked to Troy in confusion. "Why wouldn't you ask me? Noah had to stay behind to build the time machine, and you needed more people to come with you."

"I'm supposed to make decisions that protect us all. Gia, that last one almost got you killed!"

"Vrak's blaster almost got me killed," Gia shook her head and then looked Troy right in the eyes, "You may get the final say, but if you make a decision I don't agree with, I'm going to call you out on it then and there. Gosei never directly stated I was second in command, but I think we all agree that's my job. Whenever you're not around, the others all turn to me."

"Yeah, but…"

"What that means is that we're a team. You and me," Gia said. "If you make a call, and I go along with it, I'm just as responsible for what happens as you are."

"Gia…"

"I don't blame you, Troy."

"But Gia…"

"Don't even say it," Gia shook her head, "You made all the right calls. Noah needed those pieces we collected from Vrak. We had to go in or else there would have been no time machine and we wouldn't even be here. You had to pick the strongest team to go in in case we did face Vrak. Noah knows he's not the muscle, and I wouldn't have asked Emma to take mine or Jake's place. I can handle the abuse. I know she can't."

"Yeah, but…"

"All the calls were right for getting in and getting out. Vrak got a lucky shot in. End of story."

"But…"

"I'll give you something to worry about, Burrows, if you don't shut up," Gia said and then took his hand and squeezed it gently; "We're a team. We work together. You're the leader and you make calls, but we still have a choice on whether or not to follow those calls. I went into that palace knowing I could get hurt – knowing I might never come out. It's okay, Troy."

"I am sorry,"

"I know," Gia nodded her head.

Troy let go of Gia's hand and leaned back in his seat. He didn't know what to say now. Gia had practically shot down every attempt he would have made at taking the blame, refusing to let him believe he should. Now he had made a promise to Emma not to leave Gia alone until she or Mrs. Moran came back. He didn't have much else to say.

"What was it like?" Troy asked. Gia looked to him.

"What?"

"Dying?"

"Why does everyone want to know?"

"No one's died before," Troy shrugged. Gia rolled her eyes and was about to say something but Troy cut her off, "No one I've known has died and lived to tell us about it. What's it like?"

"I don't remember much," Gia shrugged. "Just the kids, us trying to escape, a fight with Vrak, and then fire."

"There was an explosion before you disappeared," Troy nodded. Gia sighed.

"I have nightmares about it. I always get nightmares."

"You wake up in a cold sweat?" Troy asked her. "You know it's not real, but you can't get what happened out of your head? It's like it really happened."

"Are your dreams like that?"

"Most of them. I see battles and wars. So many people die."

"It's the future, though, right?"

"Hopefully not," Troy shook his head. "But some are dreams of the past. Not my past, though. I see into the lives of other Rangers, especially the ones we've met."

"But you do mostly see the future?"

"I have dreams of a war," Troy nodded. "Most of the time, it's a war. We're caught in the middle of it, and all the other Rangers are there, fighting with us. I don't know who we're really fighting against, what we're fighting for, or what happens."

"I get nightmares of what's happened," Gia looked down at her blankets, "They started when Cliff first hurt me. I didn't tell anyone about them back then. After he left, they got worse. Just when they started to settle, after Vrak killed him and I learned to move on, dad died. Now I have nightmares of that. I dream I'm killing dad, or Vrak is, or I'm the one who finds my father… or that he blames me. I have dreams where he comes back to life, just for a moment, just to tell me how disappointed he is, and how much he hates me. He tells me I deserve what Cliff did to me, and he hopes Vrak kills me too."

"They're just nightmares, Gia."

"Mom and Emma say the same thing," Gia looked over to Troy, "You know they aren't always just nightmares."

"That one is. You're feeling guilty. When Ryan died…"

"Ryan?"

"A kid who saved me from a bully once," Troy said. "He killed himself later because the bullies started to pick on him. When he died, I had those dreams too. Him crying out to me and blaming me or asking me why I couldn't stand up for him. It's just your guilt, talking."

Gia let out a breath, "I have more dreams, now. Dreams about dying, I guess. There's a room that's on fire, someone's standing over me, laughing. I know it's Vrak. I'm calling for help, and for the longest time, no one's showed up."

"We couldn't do anything when you died," Troy said. "We wanted to, but you were gone."

"I know," Gia said. "My last dream, though, I heard a voice. Someone was helping me. He wanted me to get out of the fire. I'm positive it was Jordan. He had something to do with my rescue, I just know it."

"You and I both need to listen a little more to our dreams, I guess."

"You're lucky," Gia whispered. "If Vrak's little stunt showed us anything, we can change the future. Your dreams, the bad ones at least, don't have to happen. Not if we can find a way to stop them. Mine have happened. Cliff, my dad, Vrak… listening to my dreams can't undo it."

"You can grow from them," Troy said. "My dreams warn me. I'm always training to keep the worst from happening. I'm getting stronger because of it. And with the exception of last time, I can keep bad things from happening by making decisions based on what I've seen. You can get stronger too."

"How?"

"Listen to your dreams. Maybe I can help."

"You can help me? In my dreams?"

"Hey, I've got magic dream powers that haven't really done much for me yet. Maybe I can use them to help you. Make up for… this."

"Troy…"

"I can be with you, in that fire dream. We can see who it is who is trying to save you. Maybe we'll get some answers…"

"I'm alive, Troy. The team isn't hurt; Emma and Jordan are still okay after everything. I trust my gut feeling when I say I think Jordan saved me. I don't really care who that voice is in my dreams," Gia shook her head. "If you're going to help me with a dream…"

"Cliff?"

"My dad," Gia looked down at the blanket again, "I don't care what Cliff says. His opinion means nothing to me anymore. And I know he can't hurt me. The dreams about my dad, the things I do, what he says about me… I want answers for that. I want to know… if it's real."

"I can help, then," Troy said. "It's the least I can do after…"

"You didn't do this, Troy…"

"It's still the least I can do," Troy smiled. "Just… close your eyes, try and get some sleep. Think of your dad and… we'll see what happens."

"You'll be here, right?"

"Yeah," Troy nodded his head and took a hold of Gia's hand as she settled into bed and tried to get some sleep. He didn't know how he was going to help her. He wasn't even sure it was possible he could, but he had to give it a shot. Gia may not have blamed him for what happened. It seemed no one did. He still blamed himself, though, and he would continue to feel guilty until he could do something to help.


End file.
